Mail-box.



No. 687,528. Patented Nov. 26, I901. w.-a. HAWLEY.

MAIL BOX.

(Application filed June IO, 1901.) (No Model.)

19 is F I CQI UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM G. HAWLEY, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO BATES HAWLEY POSTAL BOX SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

MAIL- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 687,528, dated November 26, 1901.

Application filed June 10, 1901.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. HAWLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Jose, county of Santa Clara, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Mail- Boxes; and I herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to improvements in boxes to be disposed in public places for the reception of mail-matter. It is applicable either for purposes of rural collection and distribution or as a depository for letters and papers in cities, &c., where collections are made by carriers at intervals.

It consists, essentially, of a box having a longitudinal side opening near the top, an inwardly and upwardly swinging flap closing this opening, said flap adapted to be normally kept closed by gravity, suitable means for preventing the ingress of moisture around the edges of the flap, a perforated corrugated bottom for the box, a combed partition within the box to prevent pilfering, a door through which the mail may be removed, and signal devices disposed at either end of the box, by one of which the carrier is notified of the deposit of mail-matter within the box and by. the other notice is given of the deposit of mail therein by the carrier.

It also comprises details of construction which will be more fully hereinafter set forth, having reference to the drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front view of the box. Fig. 2 is an end view. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the same. Fig. 4c shows the signal dropped. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of a corner of the box, taken through the door.

The object of my invention is to furnish a box which will not only have upon it signal devices, as referred to, when intended for use in rural districts, but which is adapted to be easily operated without the use of both the hands of the depositor and which will readily receive letters and papers of any length.

A represents the casing or body of a box, having a fixed front wall portion 2. The mail is deposited through the longitudinal aperture 3 above this wall and is removed through a longitudinal opening 4: below this wall. The upper part of this wall is bent inwardly to Serial No. 63,963. (No model.)

form an inclined sill 5. The lateral edges of this sill are secured to the inner sides of the box, and the longitudinal edge 6 of the sill is turned upwardly to form a stop against the entry of any moisture beneath the bottom of the flap 7. This flap norm ally closes the opening 3 and is hinged near the upper and outer edge of the box. It depends downwardly and inwardly and may rest upon the sill in such a manner as just to inclose the ledge 6 Within the box and, furthermore, not strike the ledge when the flap is pushed inwardly and upwardly when it is desired to insert any mail in the box. The lower edge of the flap may be Weighted, so as to insure self-closing.

The advantages of a flap operating in the manner shown are obvious. It not only gives a side opening the full width of the box, adapted to receive articles of greater bulk than ordinarily permitted by most post-boxes, and is operated to exclude moisture eifectually, but, most important, it allows one to deposit a letter or paper without the necessity of the use of both hands.

Generally it is necessary to lift or pull down the flap with one hand and insert the package with the other. With my device a simple push against the flap 7 opens it and allows the letter to be inserted in the box.

Between the ledge or weather-strip 6 and the rear wall of the box is an opening 3, through which the mail drops. That the contents of the box may not be surreptitiously removed through this opening I provide a longitudinal downwardly-extending partition 8, having on its lower edge a series of teeth 9, which will engage the hand of any pilferer seeking access by lifting the flap.

The discharge-opening 4 is closed by a door 10, suitably hinged, as at 11, and having end projections or flanges 12 and 13. The outer of these flanges is adapted to pass on the outer edge of the end of the box and prevent the rain beating in around the ends of the door. The flanges or projections 13 pass on the inner side of the end walls of the box and have extended portions let at right angles the plate.

ledge 15, which effectually prevents any water beating in over the top edge of the door. The door may be secured by a lock 16 or other suitable means.

The bottom 17 of the box is corrugated and has perfortions 18, so that if by any mischan ce water should get into the box it could readily escape, while the mail-matter would rest always above the water-channel and not be subjected to soaking, as is the case now in the flat-bottom boxes whenever any water collects therein.

My device as thus described is fitted to all the purposes of, the ordinary collection-boxes in use in public places generally.

\Vhen used in rural districts, these boxes are placed at the side of or near the highway. That the carrier or stage-driver may be apprised whether there is anything to be collected from the box or not I have shown a signal adapted to be displayed at one end of and above the box. This signal consists of a plate 19, of any desired configuration, secured upon a standard 20, hinged to the box at 21. When not displayed, this signal will depend from its hinges; but when a letter has been deposited the person so doing may lift the, signal to an upright position above the box and the standard 20 will be engaged by a spring-clip 22. Thus securely held the signal may be observed from a distance by the approaching carrier. Having removed the contents from the box, he returns the signal to its normally dependent and unexposed position. If the signal is not displayed, he is saved the unnecessary trouble and loss of time of opening the box. If he has any mail to deposit in the box, he raises another and somewhat similar signal 23 at the opposite end of the box. This is to apprise those using the box and supposably living at a distance in from the road of the presence of any mail. However, this signal is to be displayed so as to be visible from the front or rear of the box or, say, at right angles to the road, while the carrier signal is disposed so as to be visible from the road. The patrons signal 23 is a plate loosely and centrally pivoted upon the hinged standard 24 and held in place thereon by means of a pin 25, secured in the standard and running in a transverse groove 26 in Thus when the signal is depending against the end of the box it will lie flat against and parallel therewith. -Wheu it is lifted and displayed above the box, it will simply turn on its pivot by gravitation till it stands at right angles to the end of the box. In other words, it is limited in its rotation approximately to a quarter-revolution. A clip 27 holds the standard and signal in upright position. As thus described, the box is intended for the depositand extraction of mailmatter equally by patrons as well as by the carrier, and each signal addresses itself pew euliarly to one or the other of the parties.

I have preferred to make these boxes of malleable sheet metal-as,,e. g., galvanized ironsince this lends itself readily to the formation of the lap-joints, weather-strips, &c. Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A mail-box having an opening through which the mail may be admitted, a second opening through whichthe mail may be extracted, hinged closures therefor, signals hinged at the ends of the box and adapted to be .exposed above the box, one of said signals ineluding a plate loosely pivoted and a standard for this plate having a pin said plate having an inclined slot to receive the pin whereby the through which the mail-matter may be removed, closures for said openings, a signal hinged at one end of and adapted to be displayed above the box, the surface of said signal essentially parallel with the end of the box, a second signal hinged at the other end of the box, a standard upon which the secondnamed signal is loosely mounted, said lastnamed signal having an inclined slot, and a pin projecting from the standard and working in the slot of the said signal whereby, when lifted, the signal partially rotates upon the standard and stands essentially at right angles to the end of the box.

3. In a mail-box, the combination with a casing having an opening in the lower portion of its front wall, and having the upper portion of the front wall turned inwardly to form a mail-receiving aperture said inturned portion forming a sill and having a portion turned upwardly to form a stop and then turned downwardly and rearwardly to form a threat for the mail, and having the lower edge of the downturned portion provided with fingers, a flap hinged at its upper edge to the upper front portion ofthe box, and extending downwardly and rearwardly and adapted to have its rear edge seat upon the sill in front of the stop, and a hinged closure for the lower aperture of the box.

4. In a mail-box and in combination therewith, a signal consisting of a plate loosely pivoted upon a standard, hinged connections of said standard and box, a pin secured on said standard and a slot in the plate, said pin fitting in said slot whereby the rotation of the plate about the standard is limited approximately to a quarter-revolution.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

\VILLIAM Gr. HAWLEY.

Witnesses:

S. H. NOURSE, JEssIE (J. BRoDIE.

ICC 

